Whenever I have met an Army veteran wearing a medal/badge with a rifle on a blue background resting on a laurel wreath, I take special notice. This is one of the highest honors, in my view, that can be attained in the U.S. Army—the Combat Infantryman Badge. It means, “yes,” I have been ...

Without truckers, UPS and Fed Ex, what would keep food on the shelves and other vital products delivered? They keep the lifelines of society from breaking down. You have to include the farmers on that one for sure. This is just the short list. It is helpful to thank them and especially the ...

Every church youth group has a least one of them — an enthusiastic, extroverted teen who is the life of the party and always delighted to meet someone new. And when she does, she naturally begins with an icebreaker: “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” Yes, in the midst ...

Sometimes errors by the press are small. When this columnist was a newspaper reporter, another reporter wrote in a hilarious April Fool’s Day story that a local library was imprisoning – in its dungeon – patrons with overdue books. The story understandably omitted mentioning what in ...

To our neighbors, colleagues, and friends: We are living in an unprecedented time where our world, our nation, and our community, is faced with the threat of an international pandemic known as COVID-19. This novel virus is unlike any flu or disease we have seen in modern times, and has the ...

Each day, COVID-19 appears in more counties, more communities across New York. It is inevitable that the virus will appear in Chautauqua County, although at this point, there are no confirmed cases. We are monitoring several individuals and waiting for test results. Because of community ...

When I lived in Potsdam as a student in 1998 we endured a spectacular ice storm that brought life in the North Country to a standstill for weeks. For seven days I lived with about 1500 others in the college’s fieldhouse, waiting for news from the state about when our power would return. On ...

When I was a kid, there was a TB (Tuberculosis) hospital on a hill near the Cassadaga Lakes. It was meant to be in a rather isolated, rural area because TB was known to be very contagious…it could spread easily. I remember being sad that people with this disease had to be “quarantined ...

Wash your hands. Avoid large gatherings. Stay home if you’re sick. Cough into your elbow. We’ve heard these instructions constantly the last few weeks and will continue to as the COVID-19 pandemic response is still in the early stages. Our federal government was disastrously unprepared. ...

I first got to know Amo Houghton in the mid 1970s when I represented Chautauqua County in the New York State Assembly. He was chairman of Corning Inc. and would periodically call together all of the state elected officials representing the Southern Tier to discuss common problems and issues ...

On the evening of January 15, the Sinclairville area sustained a tragic loss with the passing of Jack Abbey, the result of a highway mishap. Mr. Abbey, 64, was a well known local character, greatly respected and well loved by most of those fortunate enough to have made his ...

What has been striking about the 2020 presidential election is the extent to which journalists’ opinions have driven press coverage. It has been especially noticeable on network-television news programs, both broadcast and cable. And it’s not just how they cover the campaign but what ...

March is Women’s History Month. In this month we have seen the field of Presidential candidates narrow down to two old men battling it out to see who gets to take on the other old man in the general election. (Technically Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is still in the race but her ...

“We cannot rule out catastrophic outcomes where human life as we know it is threatened.” Carbon emissions in the coming decades “will continue to affect the climate for centuries to come in a way that is likely to be irreversible.” These are not the words of Alexandria ...

As I write this, palm trees and the blue Caribbean are in view. There is also a brand-new condo development being built which is about 20 yards from the crashing surf. Yes, we are in Mexico; but the same could be happening in Florida or the Carolinas. If you are on the beach, develop it! ...

With or without Bernie Sanders, America’s market-based approach to electricity generation and distribution is taking a beating. Today, we are in danger of losing the system that has made electricity quite reliable and affordable. Sanders wants to bludgeon the market-based approach by ...

As America heads full bore into one of the most significant (and possibly contentious) elections in several years, many Americans are worried about the lack of civility in the current political discourse. Although the current state of civility in U.S. politics leaves much to be desired, when ...

When Donald Trump mocked a disabled reporter, belittled a Gold Star family and insulted deceased Senator John McCain for having been a prisoner of war, many Americans were understandably appalled and shocked. President Trump has publicly vilified individuals and groups of people in a way that ...

There is comfort in getting the day started with a morning routine. Since I am usually the first up at our house (and usually the first to get to sleep at night,) getting things started in the morning is my responsibility. My first task is to let the dog out, quickly followed by making ...

Maybe it’s my law school training, but I must admit that I have been a long-time believer in giving judges significant discretion when it comes to sentencing and the administration of our criminal laws. Recently, a judge in New York was criticized in the sentencing of former Congressman ...